The Truth Within Poetry
by Madame Octopi
Summary: Arnold's got a poetry project to do and He's STUMPED! So who better to help him than Helga G Pataki? Maybe there's more to this girl than just a hard shell? Poetry never lies, it's all soul! R&R! Rated T just to be safe!


I

'_Come on…Come on!'_

Arnold stared at the clock as if the longer he looked at it the faster the hand would move to 3:00. Normally he didn't mind being in his English class, but all of this week they've been doing a poem appreciation type thing and poetry was just something Arnold never really understood. He didn't mind it, but when he had to dig deep to find that '_soul'_ that Ms. Baker (his teacher) has been going on and on about, it was hard. He wished that his teacher just picked simple poems with it's meanings out there in plain English rather than decoding mixed emotions. And today was the last day of this horrible lesson.

He was biting his lip and shaking his leg through anxiousness. So he could leave and enjoy the weekend with no homework. Luckily he sat in the back of the class; otherwise you would think he has a wife in labor or something.

'_Come on clock! It's Friday! No more boring poem appreciation! No one gave me homework! I just want to leave!'_

The bell rung and Arnold had to contain himself from jumping with joy. He closed his notebook and gathered his things in his book bag.

SLAM

The class looked up to see Ms. Baker standing in front of the door, hands on her hips and a sly grin on her face.

"Not so fast class, I have one more thing to say and then I release you from this prison."

The class groaned in unison and all slumped back into their chairs each and every one of them saying at some point or another "What now?" The teacher chuckled at their expressions and stood in front of her desk to speak.

"Now I'm glad to tell you all that today marks the end of our poem appreciation week. And since this class, and my other ones as well, have been very enthusiastic about poetry I decided to be generous. I _was_ going to give you all a ten page essay to write over the weekend describing a poem that we did in class."

The class looked at each other some yelling "what!" and few banged their heads on their desks at the thought of even writing one page about those poems.

"Settle down, settle down," Ms. Baker continued, "You're not writing an essay. But! What you all are doing is writing a poem of your own to read in front of the class on Monday. No need to explain what the poem is about, it could be as long or as short as you what. Whatever style of poetry you want; Haiku, sonnet, whatever, As long as it has soul. And to make sure you all don't brush this off as nothing. If you pass this assignment with more than a 90 I will drop not one but two of your lowest test scores." She walked over to the door of the classroom and opened the door where the class rushed out to enjoy their weekend. "You're all free my prisoners! Enjoy your weekend and remember I want your soul in that poem!"

Arnold walked over to his locker and saw Gerald and Phoebe there, putting their books away in their lockers. Arnold gave a sigh and a short hello and tossed his English book into his locker where it made a giant thud. Then Arnold slammed his locker door and banged his head on it dramatically. Phoebe giggled and Gerald rolled his eyes.

"Hey man what's eating you? You know you look like an over dramatic soap opera when you get upset." Gerald commented.

"Sorry Gerald I know, it's just my English class assignment. I get no homework all day and then she gives me this hard ass assignment!"

"Arnold, Arnold, Arnold, you know the rules of school. If it's Friday you would at least get _one_ homework assignment by a teacher, if not, then it's a set up for some ridiculous hard thing on Monday!"

"Yeah I know. Look the assignment doesn't seem that bad but to me it's just hard."

"Alright then what is it?"

"Well I have to write a poem with 'soul' and read it out loud in front of the class on Monday."

"So what's the problem?"

"I SUCK at poetry! And I can't just BS it Gerald, I have Ms. Baker and you know how she is. Plus if I pass with over a 90 she would drop two of our lowest test scores and I failed quite a few. At least this could help boost me up."

"Ohhhhh… I see your point… Damn Arnold, a deal like that only comes once in a lifetime. I got nothing!"

Phoebe walked in between the two boys smiling with a bright idea.

"If I may interrupt, I do have a solution to your dilemma Arnold. Although it does depend on how desperate you are..."

Arnold grabbed Phoebe by her small shoulders and pleaded "Please Pheebs! She said she'll drop two of our lowest test scores and I need that! I'll do anything!"

* * *

Arnold walked into the public library and pulled on his collar. He couldn't believe what he was about to do. He took in a deep breath and started to look around for Phoebe's suggestion. '_Why is this a good idea?'_

He wandered around the library trying to be fast while not disturbing the people who were reading. It took him about an hour and a half until he found it.

There in the corner sat a girl about his age with long wavy blonde hair scribbling in her journal with a pleased look on her face. She had a locket around her neck. She was wearing a pink T-shirt, a black hoodie, and ripped up jeans. She sat on the floor near a big window with the sun shining on her. One wouldn't even notice the area where she was sitting at unless you really looked for it. Arnold took another deep breath and walked straight up to her. In a low and nervous voice he said,

"Hi Helga."

Helga's heart skipped two beats; she knew that voice all too well. It was the very owner of that voice that she was writing about in her notebook. She shut the little pink book and looked up to find that her ears did not fail her.

'_Oh Arnold my sweet, what brings you here to my secret corner in the library?'_

That's what her heart said, what her mouth said was,

"What the hell football head? Can't you see I'm busy?"

Arnold sighed and sat down in front of his bully.

"I'm sorry Helga, it's just…I need your help with something."

Helga quirked her eyebrow and gave him her usual 'are you kidding me?' stare.

"Look Helga, I know you don't like me much, but I really need help with something and Phoebe said that you would be the perfect person for the job, and I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't desperate and-"

"Crap man just spit it out!" Anticipation was eating at her, what did her love want?

"Look, I have Ms. Baker as an English teacher and we need to write a poem for her class and read it out loud on Monday."

"Let me guess, it needs _soul_, right?"

"You have her too?"

"Yep. What's in it for me?"

Arnold looked around, no one else was there and his brain searched around for something, anything.

"Ummm…I…Uh…I could pay you. How does 10 bucks sound?"

"Hmmm…25."

"What?! 25? "

"Take it or leave it football head, my services ain't cheap."

"15 bucks then Helga."

"20 take it or leave it."

"Fine 20 bucks, so will you do it?"

"Yeah sure I'll do it Arnoldo just remember to have those twenty dollars ready. By the way, whose bright idea was this again?"

"Phoebe suggested it. She said you were had a real talent at poetry and if there was any one who could teach me the soul of a poem it would be you."

"Huh, she got that right." Helga looked at the time on her phone and started to put her books in her bag then got up to leave. "Alright Arnold, I'll help you. I'll show up at your place tomorrow at one. By the way, how are you with poetry so far?"

"Well…I-uhhh"

"Then I'll be over at twelve instead. Here's some homework, write a poem tonight and show it to me tomorrow and I'll help you write a really good one. I need to see how you write so far. Oh and Football head?"

"Yes Helga?"

"I'd better get my twenty dollars."

"Yes Helga…"

Helga then left walking down the stairs. Over the years she learned to stop monologuing out loud in public. So her mushy love banters were kept hidden inside her head, but that still didn't stop her from humming and dancing all the way home.

'_Oh Arnold, my sweet Arnold! Asking me of all the people in the world to help you write a poem! Oh I could teach you the soul of the very thing I am passionate about! To ask me of all people me! I would've done it for free! Heck I would've paid you those meaningless twenty dollars! OH my sweet how I've longed for the day where I would be invited into your home with your permission and awareness! How I yearned for the day where you needed me! How I...so have to call Phoebe…Yes I cannot thank her enough. What a true friend to bringing Arnold, MY ARNOLD to me in his time of need!'_

* * *

Gerald and Phoebe were cuddling on the couch at Gerald's house flipping through the channels finding nothing to watch.

"Hey babe, something's really bothering me."

"What is it Gerald?"

"You SURE it was a good idea to have Helga of all people help Arnold?"

"Well I..." The phone vibration cut off her sentence. She opened up her phone to find a text from Helga.

H: PHEEBS YOU ARE THE GREATEST THANX SO MUCH! 8D

Phoebe giggled and put her phone back in her pocket.

"I think they would be just fine Gerald, just fine."

**a/n- whoo my first Hey Arnold Fanfic! I hope you guys like it. Forgive me if anything is off I'm trying to get the hang of writing again. SO Arnold needs help and Helga is the only one who can help. Wonder what's gunna happen! So yeah just a note, I'm not taking into consideration San Lorenzo. So don't expect Arnolds parents. But anyhow they're older, senior year in highschool. I hope you all like it! Fun stuff coming up! I put it on T just to be safe about some things. I don't own a damn thing! Fave and review!**

**-Madame Octopi**


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